If a typical traveler saw Sonia Cheng walking through one of the newest Rosewood properties, they might think she was just another millennial hustling to her next destination, or an executive recently arrived for a well-deserved break from the business world. However, appearances have a way of being deceiving, and that traveler might be shocked to find out just how far from ordinary Cheng is.
Born into the business dynasty of Cheng Yu-tung, her family’s empire touches everything from jewelry, hotels, and department stores to aviation. She grew up living onsite in some of the family’s hotel properties in Hong Kong, exposed to the hospitality industry from her youth. Her grandfather and father served as early role models of a humble style of leadership, teaching her how to earn the respect and loyalty of a team, and how to build upon a vision.
Cheng traveled to the United States for her college education, attending Harvard where she majored in applied mathematics in economics. Speaking of her educational choice, she said, “The reason I did that was no one else did it...I like to be a little unconventional. I wanted something challenging, I didn't just want to go the easy route, and that's always been my life, always trying to find the challenging route."
She took on further challenges after graduating, working as an investment banker for Morgan Stanley and moving on to an American private equity firm before taking over the family-owned New World Hospitality in 2008 as Chief Executive Officer. Spending her first two years hands-on at many of the properties, she learned the businesses from the inside out. A mother of four, she also works hard to make time for family, saying “I’m always trying to find a good balancing point. It’s never easy.”
Not afraid to take risks, she directed the purchase of the Texas-based Rosewood hotels for nearly $230 million in 2011. By re-imagining the brand to appeal to affluent millennials and focusing on luxury experiences grounded in local culture, Cheng has since grown the company to 35 international destinations, with more on the way. She has successfully modernized and re-designed her family’s existing properties as well, turning them into cornerstones of the surrounding neighborhoods, drawing in locals and tourists alike. By staying true to her vision and unique perspective, Cheng has and will continue to take the hospitality industry by a storm.